CWG 2022: PV Sindhu brushes aside Li challenge, Lakshya Sen downs Yong to win gold medals | Commonwealth Games 2022 News – Times of India

In fact, she had made it clear after the Indian mixed team’s loss in the final to Malaysia. “The women’s singles gold from CWG is missing, I need to get that… need to get that off my list,” she said, as if there was a bucket list she had jotted down and was ticking them off one by one.
Lakshya Sen continued to serve notice of his burgeoning promise with a hard-fought, digging-deep-in-the-reserves win over Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong in the men’s section. It was a sensational comeback by the Indian after he lost the first game narrowly 19-21. He then raised the level of his game in the next two, winning 21-9, 21-16 to secure his maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Lakshya isn’t a really tall guy, standing perhaps around five-foot-nine. His innate athleticism, however, makes him jump higher than what a normal shuttler his height would do. His smashes usually come from a height of around seven feet and more. Add to that, improved fitness levels. Sen would up the ante by a few notches, especially when he sees his opponent tiring.
Sen has made this a habit of sorts. First making the pulse of his fans go at a rate of knots, reach a crescendo, and then give the ultimate high of a win. Monday was no different. Sen brought out his powerful smashes at opportune moments, and largely had the better of the long rallies in the final two sets.
Yong, in fact, enjoyed a narrow lead in the second game, going up a point at 4-4. Sen, however, kept his composure in the following points and as soon as he went ahead at 9-8, there was no looking back.

“The turning point was the second game of the match where I took the lead. I was playing well and a bit more patiently. That gave me a lot of confidence throughout the third game,” Sen said afterwards.
So how did the turnaround happen for Sen after the first game? “There was a big change in the shuttle. I think I kept a good length from the other end of the court from where I started, and in the second game I was in control. Then I got a three-point lead in the third and it turned out to be enough,” he said.
“I’m so happy that I played a good second game and third game.”
The gold follows a streak where the 20-year-old won a bronze at the 2021 World Championships, then bagged silver at the 2022 All England Open and also helped India clinch the Thomas Cup title. Earlier in the CWG, he had been a part of the silver-winning Indian mixed team.
Sindhu gets an elusive gold
In Gold Coast 2018, PV Sindhu had to settle for silver after losing to Saina Nehwal in the women’s singles final. The message: Her time will come.
This time she wasn’t going for anything less than a gold. Pitted against Li, a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Sindhu was aggressive from the get-go and it seemed she wanted to get the job done with as quickly as possible. At Glasgow 2014, Sindhu had lost to Li in the semis and went on to bag the bronze medal later.

With the crowd right behind her, Sindhu, playing with a strapping on her left ankle at the National Exhibition Centre, raced to a 21-15, 21-13 straight game win in 48 minutes.

Sindhu was visibly stiffer in her movements and looked to play shorter rallies against Li, who made a string of unforced errors despite being aware of the fact that her opponent was injured.
“I’ve been waiting for this (CWG women’s singles gold) for a long time now. Of course, I’m super happy. I’ve finally done it. From day one, it was important to keep my tempo high and be confident that I can do it,” Sindhu said afterwards.

It was Sindhu’s third win over Li this year and ninth overall in 11 meetings. Sindhu will now prepare for the 2022 World Championships to be held in Tokyo from August 21. “I am hoping for the best there. I need to enjoy this moment, take a bit of a break and come back stronger again,” she said.

Anthem spurs Satwik-Chirag to gold
India’s star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won another badminton gold for the country. In the final, the duo beat England’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-15, 21-13 in what turned out to be a rather one-sided clash. Satwik-Chirag had won silver at the Gold Coast Games.

“We really wanted this thing badly, no matter who we were playing against. We wanted to be on the podium wearing the gold medal, not any other medal. We really came out and played very strong,” Satwik said later.
“I came inside (the hall) before our match hearing the national anthem playing. It was Lakshya’s medal ceremony. I had goosebumps on me. We really wanted to do the three (gold) in a row,” Chirag added.